-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Professed `` Jersey girl '' Christeena Hockin-Minopetros began collecting sea glass from the New Jersey shore when she was 5 . She recalls that when she was younger , before the glass became scarce , you could walk home with a bucketful after a day at the beach .

Now , 10 months after Hurricane Sandy hammered the Atlantic coastline , the Florida resident says she 's shocked by how many of the frosty relics she found while walking along Sea Bright Beach back home this summer .

`` It 's everywhere , '' Hockin-Minopetros said , explaining how she found two large bags of sea glass in a variety of hues : brown , white , blue , milky green and a `` gorgeous '' red piece she ca n't take her eyes off .

We can thank Sandy for the finds , said coastal geologist Cheryl Hapke .

`` This is an epic summer for a collection of beach glass , '' she said .

Sea glass , or beach glass , begins essentially as garbage -- broken glass dumped into fresh or salt water . Over time , waves , water and sand smooth its sharp edges . It 's the smaller pieces of sea glass that usually get brought onto shore for people to pick up , Hapke said .

It 's well-known that hurricanes erode seashores and hamper tourism , but , according to Hapke , a storm like Sandy -- which boasted record-high waves in late October -- can filter larger , coarse materials from the seabed and wash them onto the shoreline .

That 's good news for beach-side businesses that sell their finds .

As Sandy swallowed beaches and deterred patrons , businesses in southern New Jersey 's Cape May Point suffered , said resident Jeanette Bartolomeo . Her son-in-law 's Sunset Beach Gift Shops , where Bartolomeo works as the jewelry manager , were among the few fortunate .

Never mind the sea glass ; Bartolomeo 's eye is drawn to the `` Cape May Diamonds '' -- clear quartz pebbles that , when polished , resemble real diamonds -- and Sunset Beach Gift Shops are known for their collection .

The pure quartz pebbles , which break off from pockets of quartz crystal in the upper reaches of the Delaware River , have always been in abundance , but bigger pieces churn up after a storm .

That 's why Hurricane Sandy and the February nor'easter were `` a blessing , '' Bartolomeo said .

`` Thank God they keep coming in , '' she said .

Though Sandy did n't damage Cape May as much as other parts of New Jersey , many residents and visitors assumed beaches and shops there were closed , so Cape May tourism suffered and business was slower than usual , Bartolomeo said .

`` We had people calling , ` Are you open now ? ' '' she said . `` But we were never closed . ''

Gov. Chris Christie 's administration announced last week that every public boardwalk and beach along the New Jersey shore is now open , after 10 months of renovations and `` beach replenishing . ''

Bartolomeo said she 's already seen an increase in tourists this summer at Sunset Beach , where visitors can be found scouring the beach for the quarter-size `` diamonds '' washing up on the shore .

Despite the good news for many businesses , Hockin-Minopetros is concerned that beach replenishing -- by which sand from other areas is used to revitalize an eroded beach -- might affect the abundance of sea glass , much like she worries construction and spiking insurance rates along the coast could affect the shoreline 's pristine quaintness .

`` I 'm afraid New Jersey 's shoreline will be one big McMansion , and that saddens me deeply , '' she said .

In addition to the sea glass she collects to craft into jewelry , which she sells , Hockin-Minopetros also keeps a personal collection of about 500 `` really fantastic '' pieces , most of which she collected while living in Greece .

But her best piece is one she picked up in Point Pleasant , New Jersey , she said .

The heavy , 8-inch-long , clear glass is actually a deck prism , which sailors used in the upper deck of a ship to illuminate the ship 's passageways below deck . It 's one she wo n't be selling , she said .

`` I only keep the real unusual , '' she said .

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Sea glass , scarce before Hurricane Sandy , makes resurgence in New Jersey

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In southern part of state , Cape May `` diamonds '' from Delaware River wash up

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Governor says all beaches , boardwalks open after 10 months of repair